Nothing tastes more like fall in Canada than butternut squash soup made with fresh vegetables and all your favourite warm spices. Seared Canadian scallops are the perfect addition, with their rich, nutty flavour and creamy texture. It’ll make you wish fall would never end.
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C) degrees.
In a large bowl, add squash, carrots, onions, thyme, spices, and 2 tsp salt. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of olive oil and toss to coat, then spread onto a baking sheet.
Cut the top off a small garlic head and place on aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and wrap foil, enclosing garlic.
Add garlic to baking sheet with vegetables. Roast in oven and bake for 30–35 minutes until soft and caramelized, stirring halfway through.
Remove from oven and add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to the pan, stirring vegetables. Set aside.
Open foil packet and squeeze cooled garlic cloves into vegetables. In batches, add roasted vegetables to a blender with vegetable broth and puree until smooth.
Add to a large stockpot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once hot, turn off heat and set aside until ready to serve.
Pat scallops dry of excess moisture and season with ½ tsp salt.
In a frying pan over medium heat, heat 2 tbsp butter until melted and bubbling. Add sage leaves and lightly fry; 2–3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on paper towel.
Add an additional 2 tbsp butter to pan. In batches, sear scallops in brown butter; about 3 minutes per side. Be careful to not let the butter burn, and don’t crowd the pan.
Ladle roasted squash soup into bowls. Top with scallops (about 3 per person), and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and crispy sage.
